DETROIT — Rookie Tyler Matzek is projected to be a big part of the Rockies' future, but Saturday night he was simply part of their very troubled present.

The 23-year-old left-hander received his baptism by blowtorch against the Detroit Tigers' powerful right-handed lineup. Matzek was scorched for eight runs on 10 hits in four-plus innings. His night included long-distance home runs by Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez.

The Tigers crushed the Rockies 11-5, pounding out 16 hits and sending them to their third consecutive defeat Saturday at Comerica Park. It marked the first time since 1912 that the Tigers scored in all eight innings they came to the plate in a nine-inning home victory.

It was Colorado's 16th loss in its past 18 road games. The club is beginning to make the first 100-loss season in franchise history look like a distinct possibility.

Matzek was used as an emergency reliever in the 16th inning against the Cubs last Tuesday. He took the loss in that game, but he was terrific in his last start. Last Saturday he blanked the Pirates for seven innings at Coors Field, allowing just three hits in an 8-1 victory.

"I was just up in the zone a little bit," said Matzek, now 2-6 with a 5.31 ERA. "I was hitting the sides all right, but I was leaving it up a little bit and they were getting to it."

Before the game, manager Walt Weiss praised Matzek's maturity, saying, "He's well beyond his years when it comes to poise."

That might be true, but Matzek has made just 10 starts in the majors and he's still raw. And the Tigers ate him alive at Comerica Park, much to the delight of a sellout crowd of 42,811.

After the game, Weiss said that Matzek's must rebound.

"He had a tough one tonight," Weiss said. "It's always a challenge for a young player or a young pitcher, especially when you get kicked around a little bit, like everyone does in this league. But Tyler has been through some struggles already, early in his career, and he's come through it, so I think he'll be just fine."

Before the game, Detroit honored its Latin baseball heritage and it had "Tigre" blazed across its jerseys. Venezuelan native Miguel Cabrera, the reigning two-time American League MVP and winner of the Triple Crown in 2012, celebrated with a towering solo homer in the third inning. It finally touched down in the second row of hedges well beyond the 420-foot mark on the center-field fence. The shot evoked a gasp from the crowd, as well it should have. Cabrera's 17th homer of the season traveled an estimated 445 feet.

Martinez also treated Matzek like a piñata. He hit a three-run homer, his team-leading 23rd of the season, to deep left field in the fifth to increase the Tigers' lead to 8-2. J.D. Martinez added a solo home run to right in the seventh off reliever Rex Brothers.

"Cabrera's was just a hanging changeup left over the outer half and (Victor) Martinez just ambushed a fastball," Matzek said.

Colorado's struggling offense was largely shut down by Detroit starter Rick Porcello, who cruised through eight innings, allowing five hits and striking out 10. The Rockies took a brief 2-1 lead in the second off Porcello, the big hit a run-scoring double by Drew Stubbs. Stubbs also tripled off Porcello in the fourth and singled in a run off reliever Patrick McCoy in Colorado's three-run ninth.

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